Stringed musical instrument



(N6 Model.) G. W. VAN DUSEN.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 440,979. Patented Nov. 18. 1890.

IIVVEIVTOR %hm@aaw/ JQ fa WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. VAN DUSEN, OF NORWOOD, NEWV YORK.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,979, dated November 18,1890. Application filed July 23, 1890. Serial No. 859,614. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W.VAN DUSEN, of Norwood, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Stringed Musical Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to stringed musical instruments, pianos 'more particularly, and has for its object to provide a novel and efficient mode of stringing the instrument so as to maintain perfect pitch and harmony of tone from the strings irrespective of changes of temperature or long-continued use of the instrument.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction of the string-supports relatively to the plate or frame and sounding-board of the instrument, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a cross-sectional elevation of the plate or frame and sounding-board of the instrument with the strings applied in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is a front View thereof, showing only one three-unison or triple string of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the string-supporting levers. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation, taken on the line was in Fig. 5, of a modified form of the string-lever and a portion of a string thereon; and Fig. 5 is a front view of two of the modified levers shown in Fig. 4 and their support.

I will first particularly describe the invention with more special reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, as follows: The iron plate or frame A of the instrument is cast in suitable shape to sustain all the strings, a few only of which are shown as necessary to illustrate the invention. The plate is provided with series of slots or apertures a and lugs a below them, and on these lugs rest the somewhat broad and hardened knife-edge fulcrums b of series of metal levers B, which have convexed heads Z) provided on top with a lug 12 which is slit or slotted laterally at b from one side of the lever to admit a fiattened portion 0 ofthe string C,Whicl1 the lever supports. This slit or slot b is next the convexed face of the lever-head b, and is only wide enough to easily admit said flattened portion of the string, and whereby the unflattened extremity c of the string which lies behind the lug willdraw against it and not allow the string to pull away from the lever,.

however great the tension or strain on the string may be. This mode of connecting the string to the lever is simple, reliable, inexpensive, and important. Besides the leverbearings a, there are cast on the front face or same side of the plate or frame A two restplates or flanges D E, over which the strings O draw as they are stretched between the heads of the levers and series of tuning-pins F, which are fastened in a wooden block G, preferably secured between the rest-plate D and an adjacent flange or rib (1, cast on the same side of the plate A. Opposite the block G and at the other face of p the plate A another wooden block H is secured between flanges or ribs h h, cast 011 the plate, and in this block are fitted another series of tuningpins I, to which are fixed one end of Wires J, the other ends of which are attached to one end of a series of spiral springs K, which'normally contract and are connected at their other ends to the extremities of thelongarins of the string-levers B, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. plate or frame A nearest the Wires and springs J K is fastened in any approved manner a sounding-board L, which may have any suit able construction and is provided with a bridge M, over which the strings C draw to impart to them the vibratory resonance of the sounding-board.

Figs. 4.- and 5 of the drawings are chiefly intended to illustrate how the strings 0 may be attached to a modified form of lever B, which instead of having a laterally-extending narrow slot or slit b is simply slotted or milled out in vertical plane at the center and rear portion of its head to provide a narrow opening, into which the flattened portion 0 of the string 0 fits, while its unflattened extremity c binds on the lever-head behind the slot. This modified fastening of the ends of the strings is quite as secure and reliable as the one first described, and either mode of slot-v ting the lever may be adopted with like ad:

To the face of-the vantages in assuring very easy and quick con: nection or disconnection of the strings from the levers in making repairs or adjustments of the instrument.

5 The operation of my improvement is very simple and effective. After the levers B are adjusted on their fulcrum-lugs a and the strings C are connected in the lever-head slots and to the opposite turning-pins F, and after the springs K and wires J are connected to the levers and the oposing turning pins I, as above described, the pins F will be turned to bring the three separate strings G to perfect unison or harmony of tone, and the pins I will also be turned to draw on the wires J, springs K, and the levers 13 to bring the strings to proper pitch of tone. If for any reason the frame or plate A of the instrument should expand in direction of thelength of the strings C, the levers B would rock on their fulcrums a, and their long arms b would rise in direction of the arrow 1, and their short arms or heads would rock downward in direction of the arrow 2, and the springs K would be put under greater tension to compensate for the change in position of the lever-heads. Consequently the strings C will be kept under like tension all the time, and the proper pitch of tone of the strings will be maintained at any tone to which the strings may have been first brought by operating the keys F. Should the plate or frame A contract, the levers B will move in direction opposite that last above described, and the tension of the springs K will relax to accommodate the changed leverage, and with like result in keeping the strings in perfect pitch of tone.

It is not necessary that the bridges D E be used in this instrument, as the strings C may be drawn directly between the lever-heads and the opposing tuning-pins F; but it is preferable to use the bridges, either both of them or the one D alone, to assure best resonant effects of or from the soundingboard of the instrument.

The drawings represent the levers B arranged on fulcrums set one beyond the other in sets of three to allow three strings C to be strung parallel and closely enough together to form a triple unison string adapted to be struck by one hammer of the instrument; but the levers fulcrumed one beyond the other, as described, may be used in sets of two or more than three, to group corresponding numbers of strings to be struck by one hammer, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with the plate or frame transversely slotted and provided with bearings at or near said slots and having tuning-pins at opposite side faces and to one side of the slots, of levers fulcrumed at the bearings and extending transversely through the slots,

strings held at one end to the short arms of the levers and ranging along one face of the frame, and springs and wires ranging along the opposite face of the frame and connecting the long arms of the levers with the tuning-pins thereat, substantially as described.

2. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with the plate or frame trans versely slotted and provided with bearings at or near said slots and having tuning-pins at opposite side faces and to one side of the slots, of levers fulerumed at the bearings and extending transversely through the slots; strings held at one end to the short arms of the levers and ranging along one face of the frame, springs and wires ranging along the opposite face of the frame and connecting the long arms of the levers with the tuningpins thereat, a sounding-board sustained on the frame, and a bridge on said board over which the strings draw, substantially as described.

3. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with the plate or f 'ame transversely slotted and provided with bearings at said slots and having tuning-pins at opposite faces, of levers fulcrunied on the bearings and passed through said slots and having slotted short arms, strings having flattened portions near one extremity engaging said lever-slots and connected at the other ends to the tuning-pins at one face of the frame, and springs and wires connecting the long arms of the levers with the tuning-pins at the other face of the frame, substantially as dc scribed.

4. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with the plate or frame transversely slotted and provided with bearings at said slots and having tuning-pins at opposite faces, of levers fulcrumed on the bearings and passed through said slots and having slotted short arms, strings having flattened portions near one extremity engaging said IOVGP'SIOtS and connected at the other ends to the tuning-pins at one face of the frame, springs and Wires connecting the long arms of the levers with the tuning-pins at the other .face of the frame, a sounding-board on the frame, and abridge on said board, over which the strings draw, substantially as described.

5. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with a plate or frame A, having slots at, bearings a, and tuning-pins F I at opposite faces, of levers having slotted heads and fulcrumed on the bearings, strings O, having flattened end parts 0, caught in the leverhead slots and connected at the other ends to the pins F, and wires J and springs K, connecting the long arms of the levers with the tuning-pins I, substantially as described.

6. In a stringed musical-instrument, the combination, with a plate or frame A, having slots a,bearings a, and tuning-pins F I at opposite faces, of levers having slotted heads and fulerumed on the bearings, strings C, having flattened end parts 0, caught in the leverhead slots, and connected at the other ends to the pins F, wires J and springs K, connecting the long arms of the levers with the tuningpins I, a sounding-board L on the frame A, and a bridge M on said board, over which the strings draw, substantially as described.

7. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination, with a plate or frame A, having slots a, bearings a, and tuning-pins F I-at opposite faces, of levers having slotted heads and fulcrumed on the bearings, strings O, havin'g flattened end parts a, caught in the leverhead slots, and connected at the other ends to the pins F, wires J, and springs K, connecting the long arms of the levers with the tuningpins I, a sounding-board L on the frame A, a bridge M on said board, and bridges D E on the frame, over which bridges the strings draw, substantially as described.

8. In a stringed musical instrument in which the strings are sustained by compensating levers, said levers provided with slots or slits, and the strings having flattened portions near their extremity, said flattened portions being placed in the lever-slots, substantially as described.

combination, with a plate or frame having 35 slots a, bearings a, and tuning-pins F I, of levers fulcrumed on said bearings and passed through the slots, said levers being arranged one beyond the other, strings connected at one end to the short arms of said levers and 40 connected at the other ends to the pins F to allow action of one hammer on two or more strings, and springs K and wires J, connecting the other ends of the levers with the pins I, substantially as described.

GEO. W. VAN DUSEN.

Witnesses:

J. R. MCDIVIT'I, CHAS. O. GRIM. 

